KANSAI YAMAMOTO

Passed away on July 28, 2020, KANSAI YAMAMOTO is probably one of the most flamboyant creators of his time and his impact is undeniable. He is driven by a philosophy: basara. This Japanese term refers to a colorful and eclectic freedom, bold and luxuriant, the antithesis of wabi-sabi. His joyful and exuberant vision of fashion clashes with the intellectual rigor and abstraction of his contemporaries ISSEY MIYAKE, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo (COMME des GARÇONS). He was the first Japanese to show in London, in 1971, a precursor of the influence of Japanese fashion, reinventing the kimono, defining an extravagant wardrobe, full of references to Japanese culture, such as Kabuki theater. He drew inspiration from traditional crafts (especially decorative braiding), often experimenting with folds and twists to bring his unusual silhouettes to life. Admired by the entire “milieu” and artists, he hosted “super-shows”, which combined fashion, music, dance and sometimes welcomed more than 100,000 spectators. He shared his passion for the spectacle with David Bowie, whom he dressed for many years on his shows. “I think David felt that the energy of my creations contributed to his own energy,” he said. Many have been inspired by his work, starting with Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton, who collaborated with him in 2018 to adorn his creations with yakko faces, from Japanese theater. Rick Owens paid an overt homage to Kansai last year at FW 2020, notably with a striped one-legged jumpsuit with angular shoulders, which was clearly a nod to Kansai’s “Tokyo Pop” jumpsuit. So did Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, with bold patterns and face prints that are characteristic of Kansai’s work.